Sleepless Nights and Dreamy Songs
by Elizabellalovesbernard
Summary: Elizabella has trouble sleeping in her room by herself. When she finds Bernard playing the piano and singing her favorite song, is it all too good to be true? Will she FINALLY be able to summon up the courage to ask Bernard for comfort? Read and respond


Elizabella lay awake in her tiny bed in her makeshift room trying to sleep. She wasn't really used to the accommodations. In the orphanage she'd had a filthy room that she had to share with four other girls. The bed smelled like dirty clothes, the room itself smelled like musty feet, and to top it all off, the blankets were made of thin wool. That was a material that Elizabella just could not stand. The nasty thing didn't even keep her warm at night… but now… now she was in a slightly smaller bed than before. Although it didn't smell like dirty clothes and musty feet, it wasn't quite comfortable. Worst of all, there was no one in the room with her. It's not that she'd enjoyed the other girls' company (They were all hateful and rude), but she didn't like sleeping alone. Long story short, she **loathed **the dark… even more than the stupid, smelly wool blanket that didn't even keep her warm at night. Elizabella sighed and looked at the clock. It was only eleven forty two. Perhaps she could sneak back to the workshop and grab her book that she had left at her station and finish it. She slid out of bed, jumping a foot, as most children do, to barely escape the grasp of the monsters lying in wait underneath. After tiptoeing down out of her tiny room, she opened the door to the workshop and turned on the light to the main room. _Yay! It's still there _she thought as her eyes fixated on a black book titled "Bound."

She quickly walked over to get it but stopped when she heard the piano in the music room gently playing. She decided to investigate and weightlessly walked down the hall and stood in the doorway of the music room. Inside, Bernard sat, gently stroking the ivory keys. After a few notes he began to sing, rather angelically, "Baby, its cold outside… but baby it's cold outside… been hoping that you'd drop in… I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."

Elizabella smiled and chimed in shyly, "My mother will start to worry."

Bernard's eyes shifted and he stopped playing for just a second to see who was joining in. He smiled and without a word, continued, "Beautiful, what's your hurry?"

Elizabella advanced toward him and sang, "My father will be pacing the floor."

"Listen to that fireplace roar."

"So really I'd better scurry."

"Beautiful, please don't hurry…"

"Well maybe just a half a drink more…."Elizabella sat down next to Bernard in the Piano bench. "The neighbors might think…"

"Baby, it's bad out there"

"Say, what's in this drink?"

"No cabs to be had out there…"

"I wish I knew how…"

"You're eyes are like starlight now." He looked into her eyes, still playing the piano flawlessly.

"To break this spell."

"I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell."

"I ought to say 'no no no sir!'"

"Mind if I move a little closer?" At this point Bernard scooted closer to her on the bench and grinned.

"At least I'm gonna say that I tried."

"What's the since in hurting my pride?"

"I really can't stay."

"Baby, don't hold out."

They both sang, "Ah, but it's cold outside." Bernard smiled and ended the song. "That song's much easier to sing when a partner is here to complete the duet." Bernard said, still as close to her as he was before. She was too entranced in his deep brown eyes to say anything. Bernard hadn't noticed the way she stared at him. He didn't believe such a pretty girl could love him the way that she did. He simply smiled at her and said, "How come you're not in bed? We have lots to do tomorrow, seeing as how it's Christmas eve and all…"

This question broke Elizabella's trance and she looked at him shyly and said, "I couldn't sleep."

"Why's that? Too cold? I can send some more blankets up there for you."

"No… No… it's not that. I um…. Oh it sounds so childish."

"What is it?"

"I… I'm afraid of the dark…"

"Oh… So… You don't like sleeping alone?"

"Right. I mean… it's been like this since I was little. I just hate being alone in that opaque blackness… It makes me feel so… so… vulnerable." Bernard smiled at her once more and reached for her hand. Not meaning to, Elizabella stood at this exact moment and sighed while she paced the floor. "But, I suppose I'll get over it." Bernard looked at the floor, feeling rejected, even though Elizabella didn't mean to reject him. "Goodnight Bernard." Elizabella began trudging back to her uncomfortable room, prepared to force herself to fall asleep, but Bernard stopped her and grabbed her hand. She turned to him, quite shocked.

"Elizabella… you don't-" He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and cleared his shaking voice. "You don't have to sleep… by yourself."

"What do you-" She looked up and saw a string of mistletoe forming in the doorframe. "Bernard did you…?"

"No! No! I swear that wasn't me! I wouldn't-"

"Rules are rules." Elizabella shrugged and said lightheartedly. She blushed and look gently at Bernard. Do you… want to?"

"Oh um…" Bernard grinned and kissed her cheek. "I promise this wasn't me… I didn't do it."

"You missed." Elizabella replied, feeling braver than usual.

"Huh?"

"You missed." She said just before kissing him gently on the lips.

"Wake up…" Bernard said quietly.

"Hm?"

"Wake up." And just like that, the scene was gone. She was back in her makeshift bedroom, waking up to Bernard shaking her lightly and telling her to "wake up."

"Oh… Sorry, Sir… Did I over sleep?"

"Nah, you're right on time… better get dressed and what not… we have a big day ahead of us, it being Christmas eve and all."

"Oh… yeah I know… Say Bernard," She said, stopping him, just before he rushed out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how to play the piano?"

"Yeah! Of course… Don't you remember last night? You walked in on me playing and sang with me… You have a beautiful voice by the way… You fell asleep, on my shoulder, on the last line of the song… you sure you're not sick Elizabella? I'd think you'd remember such a thing…"

"Oh… No, I remember… everything just seems so… hazy… That was fun last night… thanks Bernard." And with that, Bernard smiled, tipped his hat (Oh so charmingly) and rushed out the door, leaving Elizabella to get dressed. She was sorry that she didn't have the guts to kiss him like she had in her dream, but she was incredibly grateful that they had shared their little moment at the piano… Her favorite song… and her favorite person… were all she needed to make her Christmas merry.


End file.
